Ming Dynasty: The Jingnan Rebellion has just been successful, and Zhu Yuanzhang has been resurrected

“That’s right. Since the Ming Dynasty has given us this opportunity, we must seize it.” Chen Tianping nodded. One thought leads to heaven, the other to hell. Even a fool knows which choice to make. He can’t afford to hesitate here.

Anyway, he only has a title now. Apart from being of some use to Pei Boqi, who else recognizes him?
In this situation, he felt that it was a very worthwhile deal to use a completely useless title to directly gamble on the throne of Annam.

"Your Majesty, I think it would be better if you went to see Xia Yuanji in person later. We could have a frank and proper conversation. Would that help us gain the Emperor's approval?" Xia Yuanji's wise wife suggested after some thought.

Regardless, given the current situation, he felt that Xia Yuanji's words were more effective than his and Chen Tianping's. Moreover, through Xia Yuanji's words, he could also bind the two of them more closely to Xia Yuanji. In that case, even if Xia Yuanji was acting in his own best interests, he would do everything in his power to get involved in this matter.

"We need to meet with Xia Yuanji. We must express our stance to him. Only under these circumstances can Xia Yuanji formulate a better plan based on the situation. In addition, my appearance here also confirms that I acknowledge Xia Yuanji's favor," Chen Tianping said in a deep voice.

"Truly worthy of the Chen bloodline!" Pei Boqi sighed as he looked at Chen Tianping's performance. He knew very well that before this disaster, Chen Tianping was a playboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. But Chen Tianping's current performance was undoubtedly moving closer to that of a qualified king.

It's no exaggeration to say that although he did a very good job, Chen Tianping's performance at this time was clearly better than his. This was because no one had taught him, and in this situation, it was truly pure talent, inherited from his bloodline.

"By the way, General Pei, I think if possible, we should perhaps make contact with other cabinet ministers of the Ming Dynasty." Chen Tianping thought of something.

Although Xia Yuanji wielded considerable influence within the cabinet, he was merely one of its members, not the Grand Secretary. Consequently, his influence was limited. If he could win over one or two other cabinet members, the chances of securing Ming's assistance in suppressing the rebellion in Annam would significantly increase.

Pei Boqi nodded and said, "Okay, I'll make contact with them later."

Xia Yuanji's success relieved him of any psychological burden when it came to contacting other cabinet ministers; in fact, he was full of confidence.

After discussing it for a while, the two left the meeting hall and headed towards Xia Yuanji's residence.

Outside the meeting hall.

Upon learning of the news, the Imperial Guards in charge of surveillance followed after them, their faces full of doubt.

When they saw Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi enter Xia Yuanji's residence again, the Jinyiwei officers monitoring them became even more suspicious and immediately reported the news.

"What's going on? Pei Boqi brought Chen Tianping into Xia Yuanji's residence? What's going on now?" Jiang Huan frowned.

He had a lot of information, so it was easy for him to guess some things. However, the fact that Pei Boqi had returned and brought Chen Tianping back into Xia Yuanji's residence left him somewhat bewildered.

He was a little confused about what Pei Boqi and Chen Tianping were trying to do. Of course, he knew their purpose: they were definitely looking for Xia Yuanji's help.

"Make arrangements to see if we can find out the purpose of Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi's second visit to Xia Yuanji," Jiang Huan said after a moment of contemplation.

He needs to first see if he can figure things out. If he can, then he needs to see the reasons behind the situation, make arrangements based on those reasons, and see how he should proceed.

"Yes, sir!" The Imperial Guard nodded, turned and walked away.

Jiang Huan hesitated for a moment and said, "After Pei Boqi returned to the Huitong Hall, he went to Xia Yuanji's residence again, and he even brought Chen Tianping with him. What exactly is he up to?"

After thinking for a while, he still couldn't figure out the reason, so he shook his head and simply stopped thinking about it, waiting for the final result to come back.

Xia Mansion!

After Pei Boqi left, Xia Yuanji pondered for a while and decided to summon the rest of the cabinet to his residence to give them a briefing.

It wasn't that he was magnanimous and wanted to share the benefits with others; rather, he was simply worried that things would be exposed. After all, if Pei Boqi could approach him, he could also approach others. If others didn't understand the situation and revealed the truth, wouldn't he end up with nothing?

Although if others are notified, some of the credit will be shared later, it's better to share some credit than to lose everything.

"Lord Xia, what brings you here?" Xie Jin, Hu Ying, Yang Shiqi, Fang Xiaoru, Yao Guangxiao, and others arrived at Xia Yuanji's residence.

They were all very puzzled, and they all looked at Xia Yuanji with questioning eyes.

The reason for this reaction was that Xia Yuanji was worried that Pei Boqi would go looking for these people, so when he sent his servants to call for help, he spoke very urgently. This caused Xie Jin and the others to be very puzzled and not understand what had happened.

"Great news!" Xia Yuanji smiled and greeted Xie Jin and the others, "Gentlemen, please sit down and let me explain!"

"What's going on?" Xie Jin and the others were even more puzzled when they saw Xia Yuanji's appearance. Xia Yuanji had called them over in a hurry, so why was he suddenly acting so unhurried?

Ignoring the expressions of the crowd, Xia Yuanji turned to his servants and ordered, "Go, brew a pot of good tea!"

"Yes, sir!" The servant nodded, turned around and walked away.

"This..." Xie Jin and the others looked at each other, somewhat at a loss. However, they were not stupid and all understood. It seemed that nothing too serious had happened, otherwise Xia Yuanji would not be so relaxed.

Seeing that everyone was still standing there in a daze, Xia Yuanji smiled and waved his hand, saying, "What are you all still standing for? Hurry up and sit down!"

Seeing this, everyone stopped worrying and found a seat to sit down.

Xia Yuanji said, "Everyone, before I talk about the matter, I need to apologize to you. Although I called you here in a hurry, there was a reason for it. Actually, nothing of great importance happened."

He knew that his actions were somewhat inappropriate, so he didn't make any excuses or give any long speeches. Instead, he apologized directly to everyone.

"Lord Xia, please tell me what exactly happened," Xie Jin said softly.

“That’s right, Lord Xia, everyone is quite busy. Why don’t you tell me what it is first?” Hu Ying said.

Xia Yuanji nodded and said, "Alright, since that's the case, I won't waste any more time. You all know that the King of Annam came to us for help. Just now, Pei Boqi, the minister beside the King of Annam, came to see me." "Hmm?" Everyone frowned at the same time when they heard Xia Yuanji's words.

“Lord Xia, don’t tell us that you agreed to Pei Boqi’s request for help, will you?” Fang Xiaoru said.

The others remained silent, all their eyes fixed on Xia Yuanji.

Although Zhu Yunwen's letter had been sent back, instructing that Chen Tianping and Pei Boqi be well taken care of, implying an intention to intervene in Annam affairs, the matter remained unresolved, and Zhu Yunwen had not yet returned.

Under these circumstances, Xia Yuanji's decision to privately agree to the Annam king's request for help was not a good thing.

“You should all know His Majesty’s meaning. I dare not agree on behalf of the Ming Dynasty, but I agree on my own behalf,” Xia Yuanji said.

He dared not directly represent the Ming Dynasty in agreeing to Chen Tianping's request, even though Chen was a member of the cabinet and a strong contender for the position of Grand Secretary.

"Does that mean you've agreed? What does that mean?" Everyone was a little confused when they heard Xia Yuanji's words.

They didn't quite understand what Xia Yuanji meant by his words. What did he mean by saying that it meant he had agreed?
"Lord Xia, could you please explain more clearly what you mean by 'you agreed on your own behalf'?" Xie Jin asked.

He was vying with Xia Yuanji for the position of Grand Secretary, so he would not miss any opportunity to attack Xia Yuanji.

"It's very simple. Pei Boqi just asked me for help, wanting me to put in a good word for them with His Majesty. I agreed, and not only did I agree, I also came up with a solution for them," Xia Yuanji said with a smile.

"This..." Xie Jin and the others were all taken aback when they heard Xia Yuanji's words. Pei Boqi had come to see Xia Yuanji, and they were not unaware of anything. They were very clear about the meaning behind Xia Yuanji's words.

Pei Boqi's visit to Xia Yuanji at this time was clearly like a fat sheep being delivered to their door. Not to mention Xia Yuanji, even if they themselves were in this situation, they would definitely try to take advantage of Pei Boqi.

After realizing this, everyone calmed down. They understood that Xia Yuanji had called them over to share some of the credit with them.

Doing nothing and still getting credit—who would refuse such a good thing?

At this point, even Xie Jin stopped bothering Xia Yuanji, because he knew that if he continued to whine and complain, others would definitely be dissatisfied with him, so he wisely kept quiet.

Xia Yuanji sensed the change in everyone's emotions, and his smile deepened. He said, "I told Pei Boqi that if we want His Majesty to agree, we need to offer something, such as the interests of Annam. He inquired about me on the spot and said he would go back and persuade Chen Tianping."

"Ah, this." Upon hearing Xia Yuanji's words, Xie Jin and the others' eyes immediately turned red.

It's like a pie falling from the sky! It's truly a pie falling from the sky! They were all shouting in their hearts, "Why didn't we get to experience something so good?"
"Congratulations, Lord Xia!" Yao Guangxiao took a deep breath, suppressing his envy, and offered his congratulations with a smile.

At this moment, he understood why Fang Xiaoru had been in such a hurry to call them over. If it were him, he would have done the same thing.

There's no way I can not be anxious. What if I give myself away?
Similarly, he understood why Xia Yuanji wanted to share the credit with them. It was a simple reason: to shut them up with benefits. Of course, this was also the best way to handle the situation.

To be honest, even if Xia Yuanji really took all the credit for himself and didn't share any with them, how could they dare to speak out of turn? After all, this matter involved the interests of the Ming Dynasty. If they acted recklessly and were caught by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it would be no laughing matter.

"Congratulations, Lord Xia!" The others also offered their congratulations, their tone tinged with undisguised envy. However, they had no choice; after all, Pei Boqi hadn't been the first to approach them.

At this moment, some quick-witted individuals were already regretting their actions. One of the most important factors that led Pei Boqi to seek out Xia Yuanji was that Xia Yuanji had previously taken Pei Boqi and Chen Tianping to see the Empress.

Don't underestimate these seemingly small things; sometimes, it is precisely these seemingly insignificant details that determine success or failure.

"Gentlemen," Xia Yuanji said softly, "I think that after Pei Boqi and Chen Tianping receive their answers from me, they might come to you again in order to improve their chances of getting His Majesty's approval. At that time, please don't let it slip. Of course, in return, I won't take all the credit for myself."

His willingness to share the credit was not only to silence Xie Jin and others with benefits, but also to pave the way for his future position as Grand Secretary.

"Lord Xia, you're too kind. We won't say anything out of turn."

“That’s right, Lord Xia, don’t worry. We’re not children. Besides, if we say something carelessly, it will affect the interests of the Ming Dynasty. We won’t say anything carelessly.”

"Lord Xia, since you've said so, we certainly won't say anything more."

"."

Everyone chimed in.

Xia Yuanji's actions left them with no room for criticism, so they were naturally happy to accept it. Who would refuse credit that came for nothing?

"Knock knock knock!" Just then, a knocking sound rang out on the door.

The next second, a servant's voice came from outside the door: "Master, the King of Annam requests an audience!"

"Huh?" Inside the room, Xia Yuanji and the others were all stunned upon hearing this, their faces filled with astonishment.

"That's quite a coincidence, Lord Xia. Why don't you take the lead and we all agree to help Chen Tianping put in a good word for him with His Majesty?" Xie Jin said with a smile, his eyes darting around.

Hu Ying, Yang Shiqi, and the others' eyes lit up at the same time. Previously, Xia Yuanji shared the credit with them, but now they were personally involved. The two represented completely different things.

Xia Yuanji frowned slightly, but then relaxed. Now that things had come to this, even if he was reluctant, he didn't have a good solution. After calming himself, he nodded and said, "Alright, but we must first ascertain how much Chen Tianping is willing to pay to gain the help of our Great Ming." (End of Chapter)